Canon Vixia HF S100 – Great videos but no EVF
Sum and Substance:
Thumbs Up:
Good performance, excellent video quality, battery charging is fast, interface and layout is nicely designed.
Thumbs Down:
No EVF, the lens cover rattles a lot.
Inside the Trunk:
Infrared remote control. Included accessories – USB cable, Stereo video cable, Component cable, Wireless controller, Compact power adapter, Battery pack. Bundled software utilities & drivers, PIXELA Image Mixer. Included cables USB cable, A/V cable, component video cable.
The Whiz Kid Speaks:
Canon Vixia HF S100 is a 1080p camcorder with 200x digital zoom, has total of 8.59 mega pixels, optical sensor size is 1/2.6”, videos are stored in AVCHD, MPEG-4 format, maximum shutter speed 1/2000 second. The TFT LCD of the camcorder is 2.7 inch big.
Shooting programs include portrait mode, sports mode, night mode, spotlight, fireworks, sunset, beach, snow. White balance presets include Fluorescent light (warm white), Fluorescent light (cool white), Tungsten light, Daylight, Cloudy, Shade. Exposure modes include aperture-priority, shutter-priority, automatic, program, manual. Flash modes include red-eye reduction, flash OFF mode, fill-in mode, auto mode.
Camcorder sensor resolution is 8.59 mega pixels, effective video resolution is 6.01 mega pixels, effective still resolution is 8.02 mega pixels, images are stored in JPEG format. The HF S100 has Zoom lens – 6.4 mm – 64 mm – F/1.8-3.0, has 10x optical zoom, lens aperture is 6.4mm-64mm, maximum focal length is 64mm, minimum focal length is 6.4 mm, minimum focus range is 0.4 inch.
Additional features include Dolby Digital AC-3 (2 channel) recording, RGB primary color filter, USB 2.0 compatibility, Progressive scanning, Exif Print support, PictBridge support, Histogram display, Built-in speaker, 24p Cinema Mode, Face detection.
Connectors on the camcorder include USB, Microphone, HDMI, Composite video/audio output, Component video output. The device is powered by Canon BP-807 li-ion rechargeable battery. The HF S100 comes with a one year warranty.
Razzle Dazzle:
Canon Vixia HF S100 doesn’t have many differences from a typical camcorder, it has those same looks. This device is a bit heavy but fits easily in a loose pocket of your jacket. Because of the large size, the HF S100 is comfortable to operate and hold.
Inside Dope:
With HD camcorders now coming in and occupying the larger market space, the manufacturers are turning the SD camcorders into compact devices because of the presence of the flash drive. Earlier, this was not possible because mini-DVD, hard disk and tap disk based camcorders were huge and hence the camcorders too were big in size. We got the HF S100 in our test center and this review also applies to the HF S10. Both of these products are identical, except for the storage space. This camcorder doesn’t have any internal memory while the HF 10 has 32 GB of flash memory.
These two camcorders record at 1,920×1,080 60i clips. Other highlights include faster, larger f1.8 10x HD lens which in turn gives a better resolution, high res 1/2.6-inch 8-megapixel CMOS sensor, it has high end capabilities like fixed 70 and 100 IRE zebra stripes, programmable control/button dial combo, capability to manually boost gain up to 18dB and SMPTE color bars.
We were turned off by the lens cover on the HF S100, the cover consists of 2 plastic pieces covering the lens. When the camcorder is off, the two pieces make a rattling noise if you shake the device. When the device is placed in your bag, it makes that noise while you walk. So you might freak out, thinking that the device is broken.
Usually the video light is located on the side of the lens but Canon put it on top of the pop-up flash. The stereo mics are located on the two sides of the lens barrel. We thought this was a great idea, usually a single mic is located above or below the lens. The two mics also provide better separation but its position is bound to attract a lot of wind noise. We tested the HF S100 for this and didn’t find any problems. However, we would advice you to check for yourself before you buy the product.
Connectors on the HF S100 include 3.5 mm mic input jack, USB, miniHDMI and component. The strap will get in the way when you are hooking up peripherals on the device.
The custom dial on the lens feels, operates and looks similar to the Sony’s control dials on its prosumer models. To enable it, press the button once and the programmable dial can then be used to adjust automatic gain control limit (0 to 18dB), mic level, assist functions (70/100 IRE Zebra and peaking), focus and exposure. We were uncomfortable when using it with peaking and zebra options. On the bright side, the interface is good for exposure and focus adjustment.
Beneath your forefinger, is photo button and zoom switch. There is no EVF, which might disappoint camcorder enthusiasts. Manufacturers are dumping the EVF but we like to hold the camcorder close to our eye for more stable images. Near the mode buttons is the 3.5 mm head phone port and the power jack. The power button, located next to the zoom switch is recessed and a bit hard to operate.
The LCD bezel is the house for most of the shooting controls. You can use the function button both for the full menu system and for the frequently used settings. Settings include scene modes, program, still photo size and video quality, digital effects, image effects and white balance. The HF S100 also gives aperture and shutter shooting modes, range of shutter speed is 1/8 to 1/2000 second while the options for aperture range from f1.8 to f8. You see such options in a prosumer camcoders and it gives you more control over depth of field. In the still picture mode, you get to select the drive modes and metering. Other advanced features include three variable or fixed zoom speed, color bars, test tone and x.v.Color mode.
The camcorder also has the snapshot feature which lets you record a highlight reel of four seconds. The dedicated button for the function is a bit hard to press and you get a blue outline on the screen which is a countdown for your four seconds.
The menu system is revamped to make it more user-friendly. But the LCD is low resolution which means small fonts will look pixelated. Being an LCD, we were surprised to see that it could stand bright sunlight quite well.
Pushing the joystick down gives you a menu which contains options like digital teleconverter, face detection, mic level, manual focus, backlight and exposure compensation, three-second prerecord, digital effects and video light. In the still mode, you lose the teleconverter and microphone but get the flash.
Quality and performance are great at both rates of 17Mbps and 24 Mbps. For the former, it 7.8 minutes takes up a gigabyte of space and for the latter, it is 5.5 minutes. The device focuses accurately and quickly even in dim light conditions. Battery life is average, but the device charges quickly. The videos look great, there are very few blown out highlights, the exposure is excellent and the color is well saturated. The audio too is captured very well on the device.
Nitty Gritty:
The twin products in this category, the HF S10 and HF S100 deliver great performance. However, we are fans of EVF and were disappointed to find that these two products didn’t have one. We would certainly recommend you to buy this if you don’t mind the absence of the EVF. If you are choosing between the two, we would ask you to go for the 32 gig model.
